Brandon Jones and Serene Russell are going their separate ways after being engaged for 10 months. The Bachelor in Paradise stars both took to Instagram with a joint message that announced the end of their romance along with a slideshow of photos and video clips of some memorable moments together. The main photo of the post was black and white and showed them both sitting together and smiling as they wore white sweaters and black pants.
“After many months, today we have ultimately decided to end our engagement,” the message began. “We have tried to work privately on our relationship which has been incredibly challenging in the public eye. This has been immensely hard to accept and painful, as there is a lot of love between the two of us.”
“We are deeply hurting and can only ask that there be no hate,” they continued. “The best path for us at this time is to try and move forward and heal from this as individuals.”
Once the post went public, Brandon and Serene’s followers shared well wishes in the comments section. “Woah I really didn’t see this coming :( wishing you both the best ❤️,” one follower wrote, while another called them both “amazing people.” A third shared, “I’ll be praying for you guys and hope that you both heal. If it is meant to be you will find your way back to eachother ❤️” and a fourth added, “noooo they were the cutest couple ever!”
Brandon and Serene’s shocking breakup announcement comes after they got engaged while filming their reality dating show in June. The finale episode aired in Nov. and the gorgeous, emerald cut, Neil Lane engagement ring that Brandon proposed with got a lot of attention at the time. The lovebirds’ special episode was one of the most talked about since they both shared heartwarming speeches about the love they shared with each other and truly looked like a couple that would last.